Page 87 - North American Clean Energy September October 2015

Always the Least

Expensive, Most Reliable

Electricity

by Dan Nordloh

TODAY THERE ARE GENERALLY THREE • Modular, scalable, eicient and “future- management system distills all of the of power and energy through state-of-
particularly
proof” energy management as a 20-year complexity to a simple means of creating the-art energy management systems is
SOURCES OF ELECTRICITY,
for behind-the-meter applications: asset.
cash behind the meter.
opening up numerous possibilities, as well
conventional generation, generation
here is deinitive movement towards the as markets, for owners and operators of
from renewables, and energy storage. On he third bullet point is particularly increasing complexity of applications and buildings, micro grids, and utilities.
their own, each of these sources can be valuable in addressing the “one size its all” greater integration of functionality in order Energy management systems, and

limiting due to various factors such as cost, storage approach. By simply allowing for to solve more issues, while providing even hybrid power-and-energy storage
availability, resiliency, and environmental the integration and simultaneous control higher value. his trend will accelerate over systems are technologies which ensure
impact. In a model environment, these of more than one storage technology, a the next four to ive years.
the least expensive and most reliable
disparate sources work in a synchronized hybrid battery is available to serve both Why deploy a conventional, static, electricity available in grid-connected,

manner, all three continually prioritized power and energy applications. Energy 20-year asset that cannot accommodate grid-independent, and remote micro-
and optimized to always deliver the least management systems are now available the dynamic evolution of rate structures, grid environments. For commercial and
expensive and most reliable electricity.
which make it very easy to create hybrid programs, and capabilities? Today, a industrial building markets, in both
Sounds simple enough, but the systems by efectively “auto-segregating” building can be future-proofed with an grid-connected and grid-independent

conventional approach of power electronics power and energy applications, and pulling energy management system that is lexible environments, these systems utilize legacy
provides limited capability in terms of from the optimal battery technology to do and scalable by simply adding drawers to a energy storage and controls.
optimization, eiciency, scalability, and
the job without the complexity of a central cabinet, and each drawer designated as PV, Simply put, not all electricity is created
the ability to accommodate ever-changing control system; a highly complicated task DC lighting, a diesel generator, or storage, equally, and the various options as to

and evolving applications and policies. accomplished simply and cost-efectively.
to list a few options. Hot, swappable, how electricity is sourced are increasingly
Essentially with a “stick-built” environment, hese capabilities provide the opportunity drawer-based architecture similar to that viable, cost efective, and environmentally
the conventional inverter approach is to rethink everything about how electricity of a rack-mount server, ensures optimal advantageous. he technology is available
inherently inlexible in what is now a is sourced and monetize distributed uptime and reliability.
today to lower the cost of electricity, create
dynamic world of electricity generation and generation and storage assets.
In some environments, such as remote a more resilient grid infrastructure, and
load management.
he macro ability to leverage the optimal micro grids, diesel generators could play prompt economic markets which leverage
Further complicating the realization of use of electricity from the grid, renewables, the role of conventional generation. All
distributed assets.

the model environment is that a “one size and storage is itself powerful; the ability to of the aforementioned synchronization
its all” approach to energy storage has monetize numerous applications behind
capabilities apply here as well, and even Dan Nordloh is executive vice
been the norm, relying on single-storage the meter provides the micro-level ability
allow for the optimization of the diesel by president of global business
technology for both power, and energy to leverage just about any combination of eliminating ineicient load following. development for EnSync

applications. he perfect battery does
applications imaginable, including supply simply run the generators only at optimal Energy Systems. In his role he
not exist, and forcing one type of storage response, time-of-use, frequency regulation, eiciency to charge the batteries.
is responsible for the evolution
technology to attempt a variety of both and back-up power.
he industry shift to comprehensive and execution of global growth
power and energy applications is limiting Hybrid power-and-energy storage is
energy management for behind-the-meter strategy, and serves on the Board of Directors

and costly.
the best way to optimize both power and applications is exciting. Synchronization of of Anhui Meineng, EnSync’s joint venture in
Coupling limiting power electronics with energy applications, and an enabling energy
disparate generating assets for the purpose
China.
a force it of battery technology makes the
model environment seem a bit out of reach.

But today, the model environment
is a reality, due primarily to energy
management systems that are enabling
comprehensive functionality and numerous

applications that do away with limitations
of conventional power electronics. Today’s
energy management systems provide:
• Active energy synchronization for any or

all DC and AC inputs and outputs;
• Prioritization and optimization of
all generating assets without system
controllers and complex algorithms;

• Management of every power and
energy storage application and asset in
simultaneous operation; and

87
North American Clean Energy